1. Technical Field
The invention relates to user access in a computer environment. More particularly, the invention relates to adapting a secure user login from different originating clients in a computer environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Users commonly have their passwords compromised (lost or stolen). Attackers can typically use the stolen username/password to impersonate a user from a remote site. This compromises the service that the attackers infiltrate, which is costly to the service providers.
Most companies allow users access to an Intranet with very little authentication (i.e., a minor password). This is an extreme case where the company knows where the user is coming from; the access point of the user is in an expected area (e.g., inside the company building). When a user accesses a company's Intranet from an unexpected area (e.g., from home), users must use a secure ID (i.e. a major password) to access the first level.
Other mechanisms used to identify people such as biometrics (thumb prints, retinal scanners, etc.) are very expensive and hardware intensive. These type of approaches are difficult to install and use. They are also impractical when applied to the Internet.
The most common solution to avoiding vulnerability to password theft is to require that key material be carried to each authentication environment. Sometimes the key material is stored in a smart card, sometimes it is carried in a floppy (perhaps containing private keys). Either method is typically not user friendly and tend to suffer problems with the loss of the non-password material (or the user forgetting to carry the material).
It would be advantageous to provide an adaptive multi-tier authentication system that automatically adapts to the user's login patterns. It would further be advantageous to provide an adaptive multi-tier authentication system that does not require additional hardware from the service provider.